


Destiny

by BreakfastTea



Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Aerith is the best, Angst, Cloud is quieter than Noct, Crossover, Fate, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Lifestream, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:53:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24932575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreakfastTea/pseuds/BreakfastTea
Summary: Noctis stumbles upon a gateway between worlds and encounters people fighting fate itself in a world beyond his imagination.Major FFVII Remake spoilers within!
Comments: 13
Kudos: 112





	Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Another week, another Fanfic Friday <3 This is a crossover between my favourite Final Fantasies. But be aware there are HUGE FFVII Remake spoilers within, so do not read if you haven't played it yet.
> 
> Hope you enjoy your fic, Manouchan!

Noctis sat behind the wheel of the Regalia, engine humming, rain hammering the windows. It was a grim day to be headed to Steyliff, but the report from a local tipster left them all curious. Strange, fragrant flowers bloomed in Myrlwood and everyone who’d gone to see them had disappeared. Dave suspected an ambush of some kind. He’d asked them to check it out for lost dogtags. Dave didn’t mention anything about rescuing survivors. Noctis quietly hoped they might find someone, but he kept it to himself. Besides, hope felt naïve. Myrlwood was a dangerous place to venture unprepared. So, with repairs to the boat taking longer than originally planned, Noctis and his friends agreed to go.

Just a shame the sunny weather hadn’t followed them from Caem.

A quick glance in the mirror and to his side showed Noctis his friends were all sleeping. No surprise really. They’d packed in a lot of hunts lately, both to help out and to fill the time. He’d offered to drive because Ignis looked like he’d nod off at the wheel. To Noctis’ relief, Ignis had agreed. Besides, Noctis wanted to drive. Despite what the others said, he didn’t actually need to nap twelve times a day to be functional. And sometimes, driving gave him the illusion he had some sort of control over his life. Not that he’d ever say it to the others, but there were times when he just wanted to be left alone to do what he wanted, destiny be damned.

Except he wouldn’t say that, because he’d never do it. He couldn’t sacrifice a country and its people for his own selfish whims.

The rain didn’t let up at all. Noctis parked as close to Myrlwood as he could. They’d have to call the chocobos to make the rest of the journey. For a moment, he simply sat and appreciated the sound of rain on the roof. His life didn’t have a lot of quiet moments anymore, so he basked in this one for a few minutes.

Except he couldn’t put it off forever. And there was a chance, however tiny, that maybe, just maybe, they’d find a survivor.

“We’re here,” Noctis said.

The others stirred, and a few minutes later they were headed across country on their chocobos, bitterly cold rain pummelling them. By the time they reached Myrlwood, they all looked like they’d taken a dunk in the lake.

“We’re staying in a hotel tonight,” Prompto declared. “We’ll never dry out otherwise.”

“We shall see,” Ignis said.

Prompto moaned. “One night, Ignis! Just one night with a roof, it’s all I ask.”

Noctis slid down from his chocobo. He stepped into the forest, a strange feeling swirling around him. He could smell flowers, soft and sweet. That wasn’t really what grabbed his attention. It was the overpowering magic that left him feeling drunk. He found himself drawn deeper into the woods, soft green light calling to him. Literally. He swore he heard singing, a great choir of voices swirling around him.

“…hear me, Noct!” Gladio ran around him, blocking his path. “The hell is going on with you? Didn’t you hear us?”

“Hear you? No.” He couldn’t pull his eyes off the light. The scent of flowers hit him again. “That smell is so good.”

“Smell? I can’t –”

Gladio’s voice faded away. Noctis kept walking, green light shimmering and dancing around him. He saw them, tucked into a nook: a field of flowers. They danced in the rain, lemon yellow petals shimmering. The green light came from them. It wrapped itself around him, spinning faster and faster until it blocked out Myrlwood and the rain and his friends and twisted and turned and…

Spinning. Everything spinning. Faster. Faster. Nausea lurched through Noctis, like the worst motion sickness of his life. He fell to his knees, head pounding. He pressed his hands to his skull to stop everything from spinning. His vision flashed white.

He lost track of everything for a moment. The pain receded to a sickening thud. The spinning slowed. Noctis opened his eyes.

And didn’t see Myrlwood or his friends. He didn’t see much. Afterimages burned into his vision, blurring and blotting everything out. He blinked hard, but it didn’t help. Too much light. Too much blur.

Black.

He came to, breathing in the strong scent of the flowers. Struggling back to his feet, he tried looking again. His vision fuzzed in and out of focus. He saw rows of chairs under a derelict roof. And all around him were…

…the flowers. The smell of them soothed him. 

If only they could stop him feeling like he was on a ship on rough seas. He could feel his legs wobbling, his balance totally shot. He was teetering back and forth.

“What is going on?” Noctis muttered.

“Um, can I help you?”

Noctis twisted around, regretting it immediately when nausea rocketed through him. His vision smeared. He tipped backwards, crashing into the soft, flowery ground.

Footsteps ran over. Two blurry faces appeared above him.

“This guy is sick,” one of the floating faces said. A woman. “Can you help him?”

“I’m not a doctor,” the other floating face said. Male.

Both of them were spinning too.

Noctis closed his eyes. “Shhh,” he said. “Stop spinning.” He really didn’t want to throw up when his head hurt this much.

“Sounds like he’s drunk,” the guy said.

“Oh, hush. He isn’t drunk,” the woman said.

Noctis felt cool hands close around his. He heard a soft gasp, and felt a sudden jolt. Magic rushed through him, clearing the confusion and nausea. Noctis opened his eyes and found himself staring into the woman’s green eyes. He sat upright, unable to tear his eyes off her.

“How can you do that?” he asked.

She cocked her head to one side. “How can I do what?”

“Magic.”

“I just can,” she said. “Where did you come from?”

“Uh…” He looked around, taking in his grand, if rundown, surroundings properly for the first time. “I came from… somewhere… else.”

“Aerith?”

Noctis and Aerith both looked towards the other man. He had the strangest eyes Noctis had ever seen, and a look on his face that said Noctis was an unknown threat.

“It’s okay,” the woman, Aerith, said. “He’s not going to hurt us. Are you, er…”

“Noctis. And no, not gonna hurt anyone.”

“Noctis,” Aerith said. “Nice to meet you. I’m Aerith, and this is Cloud. Don’t mind him. He looks grumpy all the time.”

Noctis gave Cloud a nod. The guy had a huge sword on his back. Noctis didn’t want to get into a fight with him anytime soon.

Or ever. He needed to get out of here.

“Can you tell me where I am?” Noctis asked Aerith.

“An old church in Sector Five. Do you really not know how you got here?”

Sector Five? Sector Five of where? “So this isn’t Myrlwood?”

“I’ve never…” She turned to Cloud. “Ever heard of Myrlwood?”

“No,” he said. Cloud managed to look even more suspicious.

Noctis definitely wasn’t winning him over. “What’s Sector Five?”

Aerith and Cloud shared a glance.

“I’m serious,” Noctis said. “I don’t know where I am.”

“You hit your head?” Cloud asked.

Had he? “Maybe?” Noctis pulled his phone out of his pocket. Activating it, he noticed the OUT OF SERVICE message. There went that idea. No way to contact the others and stop them freaking out about his strange disappearance. Weird that they hadn’t come with him. His stomach tightened. What if he’d left them behind to face nightmare creatures? What if they’d been dragged off to some other bizarre place? What if –

A thought occurred to him. “Have any other people turned up unexpectedly here lately?”

Aerith laughed and looked at Cloud. “Only one.”

“Where are you from?” Noctis asked.

“Nibelheim,” Cloud said.

Noctis’ stomach lurched. “Niflheim?”

“Nibelheim,” Cloud said again, emphasising the ‘b’ sound.

“Not the Empire,” Noctis muttered to himself.

Aerith reached out and clasped Noctis’ hands in hers. “You’re from somewhere further away than any of us can really understand. An entirely different world, in fact.”

Noctis flinched. “What?” Another world? Was she for real?

“It’s okay,” Aerith said. “You’ll find a way home.”

No. No, he wasn’t ready to move on from _another world._ He could feel his head spinning again.

“Oh.” Aerith said. “Perhaps you’d better sit down.” She grabbed him and dragged him to a nearby bench. “There we go.”

Noctis sat. Then he rested his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands. “This… this is another world?”

“For you, yes,” Aerith said.

“How do you know this stuff?” Noctis asked.

“I just feel it,” Aerith said with a graceful shrug.

Noctis closed his eyes. He could feel it too. The Crystal wasn’t there. He held out a hand, willing a Potion to appear.

Nothing.

Weapons. Potions. Flasks. He couldn’t reach any of it.

“Shit,” he breathed.

“You okay?” Aerith asked.

Not really. He was totally unarmed. “I need to get out of here.” How the hell would he get back to his _world_ without magic?

“I think you’re stuck here for a few days,” Aerith said.

“How do you know that?” Noctis asked.

“I just do. The magic that brought you here needs time to rebuild.”

“How much time?” Noctis asked.

Aerith shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure.”

Noctis clenched his fists. He had places to be. He had things he had to do. He needed to get to Altissia and find Luna, not be stuck in… in…

Sector Five, whatever that meant.

“We’ll find you somewhere to stay in town,” Aerith said. “You’re still looking kinda washed out. Wouldn’t want you to get sick!” She turned to Cloud. “Let’s take him into town.”

Cloud didn’t argue. He didn’t say anything. Noctis hadn’t met someone of so few words.

Noctis followed Aerith and Cloud out of the church. He made it precisely two steps away from the doors before the sight before him stopped him dead.

Abandonment. Wreckage piled high. A sky almost hidden by… by…

“What the hell is that?” Noctis asked.

“The Plate,” Cloud said. “A city on top of a city.”

The idea of it made Noctis’ head hurt. He couldn’t wrap his head around the feat of engineering looming above him. “Are you telling me people live up there?”

“Rich people,” Aerith said. “The rest of us live down here.”

Noctis forced his eyes down, taking in the deprivation and dereliction surrounding him. It didn’t look like anyone had lived down here in decades. He’d seen plenty of derelict buildings in Lucis, but not like this. He felt completely untethered from reality, his head spinning all over again. Could he be dreaming? Could all of this be in his head?

“Aerith! Be careful!” Cloud’s sharp voice snapped Noctis back to reality.

The shadows moved around them, forming into robed figures. Noctis heard Aerith’s gasp of surprise and watched Cloud swing his sword, cutting through one of the figures. Noctis saw one coming for him. Instinct kicked in and he reached for the Engine Blade.

He couldn’t summon it. He couldn’t do anything involving the Crystal.

“Shit!”

Looking around, Noctis grabbed a metal pipe off the ground, lashing out. The figure swung around him.

And now it wasn’t alone. A swarm closed around him, cutting him off from the others. He beat his way through, returning to the light.

Green light. It emanated from the church.

“Noctis!” Aerith called out. She had a longstaff in her hands, twirling it as she shot magic at the swirling figures. “Use it!”

Green light swirled around him. A strange bolt of power launched through him. Without thinking, he threw the pipe and warped after it. It worked. He landed atop the church. His foot went through the old wood, heart lurching at the suddenness. He wrenched it free and ran to the edge of the roof. He saw Aerith and Cloud fighting below, the pair of them holding their own. More shadows shot towards Noctis. They closed over him, cutting him off from the light. He fought back, but for every figure he cut down, five replaced it.

_Outsider!_

Voices filled his head, louder than the Astrals. Burning needles of agony stabbed into his skull. The pipe fell out of his hand as he clutched his head.

_You do not belong here. Your interference is unacceptable._

Pain drove him to his knees. What were they? “Get away from me!” Teeth clenched against the pain squeezing his skull, Noctis punched out with all his strength.

Useless. He had no chance; hand to hand wasn’t his strength. The figures grabbed his arm, wrenching it until his shoulder threatened to pop free.

_Fate has a plan for you, and you will not escape it. You will return to your world. You cannot interfere here. Fight us, and there will be consequences._

Blood oozed from his nostrils, pressure building in his head. Images flooded his mind. His friends, dead. Luna, dead. Lucis in ruins. Eos in darkness. Daemons roaming free.

Because he failed.

Because destiny failed.

_Stay here until you can leave. This world is not yours to touch. You interfere here on our world, your world dies._

A massive force hit him in the chest. Noctis flew out of the vision and off the roof. Something hit him. Someone. Arms wrapped around him. They hit the ground. Noctis realised Cloud had caught him midair, saving him from what would have been a back-breaking fall.

“Thanks,” Noctis gasped.

“Get back into the church,” Cloud said.

Noctis wanted to argue, but he knew better. Besides, the hooded figures gathered around them again.

_Your world means nothing. We will kill you._

Cloud shoved him towards the church. “Go, now!”

Noctis fell back. A line of hooded figures raced at him, tossing him back into the church. The doors slammed shut. He stayed where he was, waiting for the pain to fade from his head.

Minutes later, the sounds of the battle ended. Noctis forced himself to sit straight. The doors opened. Aerith ran in first, Cloud close behind.

“Are you okay?” she asked Noctis.

He wasn’t, but she didn’t need to know that. “Yeah. You?”

“All good,” she said with a smile. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. “For your nose.”

Noctis took it. “Did you clear out the others?”

“No,” Cloud said. “They’re blocking our path into Sector Five. Looks like we’re all stuck here tonight.”

“You won’t be trapped here. It’ll just be me.” Noctis rubbed his aching head. “What are those things?” How did they know so much about him?

“No idea,” Aerith said.

Noctis stared at her. She was lying. He wanted to press, but there was something in her eyes that told him to say nothing about it. “I don’t think I can leave here.”

“They definitely went after you more than us this time,” Cloud said.

“I don’t belong here,” Noctis said. “There are things I need to do.” He couldn’t waste time in some weird place where the city had a _roof_. “I have to get home as soon as possible.”

“While you’re staying here, we’ll need to make it more comfortable,” Aerith said. “And safer.” She clapped her hands. “Cloud? Could you make sure there aren’t any more of those things in here?”

“Sure.” He walked down the church and disappeared into the back area.

“You know exactly what those hooded things are,” Noctis said, turning back to Aerith.

She chuckled. “Oh, I’m not so sure.”

“Yeah, you are,” Noctis said. “Because I know what they want too.”

Aerith sobered. “Fate,” she said.

“Yeah,” Noctis said. “They’re not gonna let us escape it.”

Aerith clasped her hands in front of her. “We have to fight it. At least, I think we do.” She smiled. It looked less certain this time. “I’m not really so sure anymore.”

“Really?” Fight fate? Noctis saw the vision of his dead friends again. “What if fighting it is what kills everyone and everything?”

“You think that’s what’s going to happen?” Aerith asked. “We fight fate, and that causes people to die?”

“Causes a world to die,” Noctis said. “I can’t risk that.” Too much rested on his and Luna’s shoulders. She hadn’t travelled Eos awakening the Astrals just for him to turn his back on that now.

“Sometimes, it feels like those things will swallow me whole,” Aerith said. “I have to fight it, otherwise I might be lost forever. Maybe fate is worse than free will. At least if I fight it, my journey is my own.”

Noctis said nothing. He got it. The idea that nothing in his life was really under his control left him feeling sick. And yet if he didn’t follow the Astrals, find the Royal Arms, and reclaim the Crystal, daylight would continue to fail, people would continue dying and Noctis would lose everyone and everything that mattered to him.

“You have to do what’s best,” Noctis said. “I’m from another world. What works for me isn’t the same for you.”

“Maybe,” Aerith said.

Cloud came back. “It’s clear,” he said. “There’s nothing here. Those things are gone.”

“Great,” Aerith said, clapping her hands together. “We’ll head back into town and bring some supplies for Noctis. At least that way you might be a little more comfortable here while you wait.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Noctis said. “Not yet anyway.”

Aerith joined Cloud. “We’ll be back soon. Don’t go anywhere unless it’s back to where you came from. You could leave us a note so we won’t have to worry if you do.”

Noctis couldn’t help laughing. “Sure. I’ll do that.”

They left Noctis to it. He found himself standing among the flowers, their scent filling the air. Taking care not to crush them, he crouched down and pressed his hand into the soil. He closed his eyes, stilling his mind as he reached out to feel the magic. It sparked, deep down. It felt strange and familiar; strange because he felt for sure he could hear people in the magic, but familiar because it flowed and ebbed like the Crystal’s power. It reached out to him, embracing him with warmth and light. There wasn’t enough energy yet to reopen any kind of gateway between worlds, not yet. He knew, without a doubt, that the power would answer him if he needed it.

He smiled to himself, eyes opening. Green light shimmered around him, dancing in ribbons. Noctis held out his hands, power gathering in his palms. “Thank you,” he said. “I won’t be here for long. I need to go home.”

The green light whispered to him, soothing his mind. He found himself sinking into the flowers, the lingering pain fading away. He couldn’t understand the voices in the green light, but he could feel their meaning.

_Rest. Be at ease. This place is safe._

He was asleep and dreaming before he knew it.

* * *

“Weird.”

“Hmm, not really. I guess some people can just hear my flowers better than others.”

“You think he talked to them while we were gone?”

“Maybe. We were gone a bit longer than I expected.”

Noctis dragged his eyes open again and came face to face with a sea of flowers. He pushed himself up and saw Aerith and Cloud, their arms full of supplies. Noctis scrubbed his face, forcing himself to his feet. “Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“You looked so comfortable,” Aerith said. “Sorry we woke you.”

“It’s fine,” he said. He took in the supplies they’d bought: food, a sleeping mat, blankets, even a pillow. “I’m sorry I can’t be more useful.”

“It’s probably best you stay here,” Cloud said. “You’d stick out.”

Noctis stared at the man. At the sword.

Cloud shrugged. “You look like a topsider. A rich one. That’d make you a target.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Noctis said.

“You look like a rich person who belongs on the plate,” Aerith said, pointing up. “People from up there don’t come down here. Especially not now. There’s been a lot going on up there lately.”

Noctis looked at them. Cloud looked blank. Aerith wore a big smile. Whatever they were hiding, he didn’t need to know. Because whatever it was, fate itself wanted to intervene.

Crazy. These people were _crazy._ Fighting fate itself. Did they have any idea what it could cost them?

“We’ve got you plenty of supplies!” Aerith said. “Food, drink, bedding.”

“I really appreciate it,” Noctis said. “I’m sorry I can’t pay you, but I don’t think my money’s worth much here.” Plus literally everything he had was stuck in the Armiger.

“You can pay us back by taking care of the flowers,” Aerith said. “They like you.”

Noctis found himself reaching down to stroke their petals.

“Right,” Aerith said. “You can look after them until there’s enough power to send you home. We’ll check in on you in the morning. Unless you want us to stay?”

An unexpected flicker of homesickness went through Noctis. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on his own. To think he’d daydreamed of a day alone earlier. “You could stay for dinner.”

“That’s a great idea!” Aerith said.

Cloud sat down and passed out a few packs of… well… maybe it was edible. Noctis had no idea, but his stomach begged him to eat. They sat together, eating with minimal conversation. The food was utterly tasteless, but Noctis didn’t complain. It was officially free of vegetables so it was fine by him.

“What do you do, back in your world?” Aerith asked.

Noctis looked at her. She still wore that smile, the one that hid so much. “I’m a Hunter,” he said. “I help people.” It was close enough.

“Hmmm,” Aerith said. “I’d like to see your world.”

“No cities with lids on,” Noctis said.

Aerith laughed.

“Are all the cities like this?” Noctis asked.

“Midgar’s one of a kind,” Cloud said.

“How do you even power a city like this?” The scale of it was too much for Noctis to comprehend.

“With Mako,” Cloud said.

“Mako?”

“The planet’s life force itself,” Aerith added.

A sharp flash of green shot through Noctis’ mind. “Wait. That’s…” That would be like using the Crystal to literally power Insomnia. “That’s not good.”

“People are fighting back,” Aerith said.

“No matter what the cost,” Cloud added.

Noctis felt like he had an idea what they were up against. Even if they were pushing back against fate itself.

Maybe fate for them and fate for him looked different.

“Walk tall,” he said. “And don’t look back.”

* * *

It took two days for the power to build up. Two days during which, if Noctis dared to stray more than a few feet from the church’s entrance, a hooded figure appeared to force him back in. He had found a way up to the roof, and from there he stared out at the desolate sight of a ruined, half-built city, dusty and dry beneath the metal sky. He longed for his own world, for its open skies and stars. He’d never missed rain so much in his life. And while the green light soothed him with its singing comfort, he missed the Crystal’s familiarity. Not as much as he missed his friends. He had to keep pushing their anguish out of his mind. With no way to tell them he was alive, he could only imagine their fear.

It’d be over today. He was going home.

A gateway of light opened above the flowers, green and crystalline blue ribbons dancing at the edges. Cloud and Aerith waited at a safe distance.

“Thank you,” Noctis said. “For everything.”

“It was nice to meet you,” Aerith said.

“Yeah, likewise.” Noctis looked to Cloud, the other man standing with his arms crossed. “Take care of her.”

Cloud nodded.

Wow. He was so quiet he made Noctis look like the chatty one.

Noctis reached out for the light.

“Wait!” Aerith called out.

Noctis turned back to her. She wasn’t smiling. Her expression was sombre, mournful. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“You…” Her voice quavered so much even Cloud took notice and stepped towards her, worry clear on his face. She dragged in a deep breath. “Your journey won’t be easy, and you may lose more than you think you can bear, but don’t give up.”

Her words sat heavily, even though deep down they rang miserably true. Noctis buried it. “Stay safe,” he told her.

“I’ll be fine with my bodyguard,” she said, grabbing Cloud’s arm and holding him tight.

Cloud sighed and gave Noctis a nod.

Returning the nod, Noctis stepped into the light. His senses squirmed and turned, everything spinning out of control. He plummeted into the white, falling falling falling until…

…until he felt soil beneath him and cold rain on his face.

“Noct!”

Footsteps, a lot of them, thumped over to him. Blurry faces hovered over him. Three of them. Familiar even though their features smeared together.

“Where the hell did you go?” Gladio’s voice barked out of a blur.

Hands grabbed him, wrenching him into a seated position. Not good. So, so, so not good. His stomach churned. The blurry world whirled around him.

“Tell us what happened,” Gladio demanded.

Noctis answered him by throwing up and passing out.

The next thing he knew, he could hear rain bouncing off the tent. He stayed put, relishing the sound. After the dust and wreckage of Sector Five, nature had never sounded better.

“Are you awake?”

Noctis rolled his head to one side and saw Ignis sat beside him. “I’m awake.”

“Feeling better?” Ignis asked.

No nausea. No spinning. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He sat up to prove it. “Travelling between worlds will really mess you up.”

“Doing what?” Ignis asked.

“I was there for days,” Noctis said.

“You’ve been asleep for a few hours. And before that we lost track of you for about thirty minutes. Nothing more.”

“Wait, what?” Noctis asked.

“It sounds like you’ve had quite the bizarre dream,” Ignis said. “Whatever that was, it seems to have dissipated. We found the missing Hunters’ dogtags while you were missing.”

“I was only gone for thirty minutes?”

“Almost to the second,” Ignis said. He reached out, slipping off a glove to test Noctis’ temperature. “Not feverish. That’s good. I suspect it was some kind of daemonic attack. Plus with all the Solheim ruins in the area, it’s possible you had an unexpected reaction.”

Noctis stared at him. “I went to another world. I met people there! I fought fate!”

“You dreamt that,” Ignis said. “Your head appears to have been scrambled.”

There was no way, no way at all, he’d dreamt any of what had happened. A world where it was possible to fight fate, and two people like Aerith and Cloud. Especially Aerith. Noctis suspected he’d never convince Ignis it wasn’t a dream.

He let out a heavy sigh. At least he was home now. Ignis helped him up and out of the tent. Noctis dropped into a chair, staring out at forest around him.

“Feeling better, Noct?” Prompto asked.

“Yeah, much better. Sorry to worry you.”

“Just don’t throw up on my shoes again,” Gladio said.

“It’s not like I meant – ”

Noctis caught sight of something. In the distance. A familiar, hooded figure. His breath caught in his throat.

_Fate has a plan for you, and you will not escape it._

“Hey.” Gladio stood in front of him, blocking his view. “You alright?”

Noctis stood and moved past Gladio.

The figure was gone.

“I’m fine,” Noctis said, dragging his attention back to his friends. “Any news on the boat?”

“Cid called while you were out. He thinks it’ll be good to go tomorrow,” Gladio said. “You sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah,” Noctis said. “I’m fine.” He looked at his friends, noting their shared looks of concern. “Let’s get back to Caem. We need to get to Altissia.”

Sooner rather than later. No matter what.

_Your journey won’t be easy, and you may lose more than you think you can bear, but don’t give up._

Noctis couldn’t, wouldn’t give up. Luna and his kingdom needed him.

He wouldn’t fight fate. He’d march right into it with his head held high.

**Author's Note:**

> Another story will be up next week ^_^


End file.
